Live updates: Hurricane Irma heading for Florida after tearing through Caribbean
- 7 years ago
Hurricane Irma is expected to make landfall on the northern coast of Cuba on Friday before moving on to Florida after the category five storm ravaged much of the Caribbean, claiming at least fifteen lives.
The island of Turks and Caicos was also battening down the hatches in preparation for the storm.
HAPPENING NOW: #Irma batters Turks and Caicos. pic.twitter.com/Y2ykbUpwt3— Nina Harrelson (@NinaHarrelsonTV) 8 September 2017
It’s estimated that over one million people have already been affected by Irma, although the Red Cross says that the number could sharply rise to somewhere in the region of 26 million as the storm continues to rage.
Irma has battered the Atlantic Basin with wind-speeds of up to 185mph and is followed closely by Hurricanes Jose and Katia, which are sure to bring yet more destruction to a region already on its knees.
Category five is the highest possible level for a hurricane.
#Irma is now the longest-lived Atlantic named storm of the 2017 season to date – surpassing Harvey. pic.twitter.com/oAQhJJzalx— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) 8 September 2017
Haiti, a country that is still struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake in 2010, was brushed by Hurricane Irma on Thursday night.
The storm caused some flooding and damage to buildings, with rain and wind battering the northern port city of Cap-Haitien.
As a precaution, residents areas in the path of the storm are being urged to leave their homes.
The island of Turks and Caicos was also battening down the hatches in preparation for the storm.
HAPPENING NOW: #Irma batters Turks and Caicos. pic.twitter.com/Y2ykbUpwt3— Nina Harrelson (@NinaHarrelsonTV) 8 September 2017
It’s estimated that over one million people have already been affected by Irma, although the Red Cross says that the number could sharply rise to somewhere in the region of 26 million as the storm continues to rage.
Irma has battered the Atlantic Basin with wind-speeds of up to 185mph and is followed closely by Hurricanes Jose and Katia, which are sure to bring yet more destruction to a region already on its knees.
Category five is the highest possible level for a hurricane.
#Irma is now the longest-lived Atlantic named storm of the 2017 season to date – surpassing Harvey. pic.twitter.com/oAQhJJzalx— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) 8 September 2017
Haiti, a country that is still struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake in 2010, was brushed by Hurricane Irma on Thursday night.
The storm caused some flooding and damage to buildings, with rain and wind battering the northern port city of Cap-Haitien.
As a precaution, residents areas in the path of the storm are being urged to leave their homes.